Using the Web Interface for Cert. Types and Training Rules

The web page Certification Types and Training Rules will be the
training administrator's "home page" for viewing and defining Certification
Types and the rules and requirements related to them.

A Certification Type is the central organizing object for training
requirements. It groups together course or other requirements. It also
groups together one or more self-reported job functions, actual job titles,
or other "triggers" for a set of training requirements.

One Certification Type may take precedence over another.
For example, Certification Type 10: "Use of chemicals
in Dept. of Chem. lab" takes precedence over Certification Type 11:
"Use of chemicals in a laboratory." This has the following implications:

The training requirements for Cert. Type 10 are more stringent than
those for Cert. Type 11, so if you have fulfilled the requirements
for Cert. Type 10, then you have more than fulfilled the requirements
for Cert. Type 11.

If your needs assessment implies that you need to obtain both Cert. Types
10 and 11, then the system will steer you toward the requirements for
Cert. Type 10 and ignore the requirements for Cert. Type 11.

On the Certification Types and Training Rules
web page, you will see some header information, and then one section
for each Certification Type, which includes

Just below the title at the top of the page, there is a gray bar with
links for "Main Menu", "Certs and rules", "Courses", "Functions",
and "Function groups".
Click on these links to go to one of the other web pages.
Note that "Certs and rules" is grayed out, meaning that the link is
disabled since you are already on that web page.

You will see a similar navigation bar on other web pages throughout the
system, so that you can easily go back and forth between the main areas.

Just below the navigation bar, you will see the "Add a New Certification Type"
button. If you click this button, you will be transfered to a web page
with fields to fill out for a new Certification Type. Fill in the fields,
and click the "Commit New Certification Type" button to actually add a new
Certification Type.

Definitions of fields for a new Certification Type

Field name

Description

ID

This is the Certification Type ID number. If you leave it blank,
the system will choose a number for you.

Short Name

This is a short name for the Certification Type, up to 15 characters.
The short name will be used on reports where a short name is
appropriate for saving space.

Name

This is the full name for the Certification Type, up to 50 characters.

Start date

Normally, you will leave this blank and let the system
fill it in. This is the date on which the Certification Type will go
into effect.

End date

Normally, you will leave this blank. If it is not blank, it
is the date after which the Certification Type will no longer be in
effect.

Lower Priority Certification Types

If you want this Certification Type to take precedence over one or
more others, then select the lower-priority Certification Types from
the drop down menues.

Below each wide green bar, you will see the definition for another
Certification Type. You will see a table with basic information,
an "Edit Certification Type" button, and a list of precedence rules that
apply to this Certification Type, if any.
You may also see a "Delete Certificationn Type" button.

If the Certification Type you are viewing is a lower-priority
Cert. Type (i.e., if another Certification Type takes precedence over it), and
if you want to change this precedence rule, then you must locate the
higher-priority Cert. Type on the web page and click on its
"Edit Certification Type" button.

To delete a Certification Type, click its "Delete Certification Type" button.
If you do not see a "Delete Certification Type" button, then the Certification
Type is referenced by rules, other Certification Types, or other objects
within the database. Try deleting all the rules and requirements associated
with the Certification Type. If this still does not cause the Delete button
to appear, then there is another reference to the Cert. Type within individual
trainees' records
in the database. You can mark the Certification Type as inactive by setting
its End Date to a date on or before today's date.

The Who needs to obtain this certification type? section under each
Certification Type lists the "triggers" that signal a need for
a trainee to complete
the given Certification Type. A "trigger" may be a self-reported job
functions, an actual job title, etc.. The list of possible trigger types
may grow as the system evolves. If at least one of the triggers applies to
a trainee, then that trainee is required to obtain the Certification Type.

Each trigger has

A trigger type (self-reported job function, HR job title, etc.)

An trigger name ("Works with Chemicals", "Works with lasers", etc.)

An indication of which DLCs it applies to, i.e.,

All DLCs

A list of one or more DLCs

All DLCs except one or more listed DLCs

An optional range of dates during which the trigger is active. Normally,
a trigger is active starting on the day it is defined, with no
end date. Use these date fields if you want to phase in or phase out
certain triggers.

Use the "Add a Trigger for this Cert." button to add an additional trigger.
Use the "Edit" button to make date or DLC changes related to a given
trigger for a given Certification Type. Use the "Delete" button to delete
a trigger for a given Certification Type.

The following notes apply to adding or editing a trigger:

From either the "Add a New Trigger Rule" screen or the
"Edit an Existing Trigger Rule" screen, you will not be allowed to
type in the Trigger Type or Trigger Name fields. Click
"Select Trigger Object", and another screen will appear, allowing
you to pick a trigger from the list.

In the pick list for triggers objects, you will first see just a list
of Self-reported job functions. For other trigger types (e.g.,
Job Titles, click the appropriate link, and a list will be displayed.

The self-reported job titles are editable, but not from this screen.
Return to one of the screens that has the navigation bar, and click
on "Functions".

In the "Add a New Trigger Rule" or "Edit an Existing Trigger Rule"
screen, if you select "One or More DLCs" or
"All but one or more DLCs", then you must specify at least one DLC
code in the list below. If you know the DLC code (e.g.,
D_BIOLOGY), then you can type it in one of the DLC fields. Or, you
can click "Choose DLC", and pick from a list.

The How do you complete the requirements for this certification type?
section under each Certification Type lists the course or other requirements
for completing the Certification Type.

In the simple case, there are one or more Course Equivalent codes listed,
and the trainee must complete a course option for all of the
listed Course Equivalent Codes. For each Course Equivalent Code, there
are three optional dates. These dates can be used to phase in or phase
out course equivalents. Note that all course equivalents listed together
must be completed; you might need to use the complex case described below
if you want to use the dates for phasing in or out courses. The date fields
mean the following:

Start Date

The first date on which this course equivalent will be
required to complete the Cert. Type

GrandfatherClauseDate

This date is used if you want to phase out a course equivalent,
but you want people who took it prior to the "grandfather clause
date" to be given credit for it. People who took it after
this date will not be given credit toward the Cert. Type.

End Date

This is the date after which no one can use this course equivalent
as credit toward fulfilling the Cert. Type.

In the complex case, there is more than one "set" of course equivalents,
with the word or between sets. For example, to fulfill
Certification Type X, you might need to complete course equivalent codes {101
and 102 and 103} or {104 and 112}.

Courseequivcode

101

and

102

and

103

or

and

104

112

Let's consider another example. Suppose you want the rule to be that
a person must complete both course equivalents {101 and 102}, plus either
complete course equivalent 103 or 104. In this system, you would have to
enter the data as follows:

Courseequivcode

101

and

102

and

103

or

101

and

102

and

104

As of June 2, 2003, the interface for editing course requirements for a
Certification Type is fully functional, but there are plans to simplify
it somewhat to reduce the number of buttons you need to click.

For now, to add course requirements to a Certification Type, do the following:

Click the "Edit Requirements" button.

On the next screen, click one of the "Edit" buttons (usually the
first one, to the right of Set # 1).